JOINT PRESS COMMUNIQUE

SPECIAL SESSION OF ASSOCIATION OF NATURAL RUBBER PRODUCING COUNTRIES (ANRPC) ASSEMBLY AT MINISTERIAL LEVEL

8 MAY 2015 (FRIDAY)

1. The Special Session of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) Assembly at Ministerial level was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 8th May 2015. This was attended by Ministers from Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Senior Officials from India, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Philippines. The meeting was chaired by Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, Malaysia. 
2. The meeting reaffirmed the NR producers collective commitment and solidarity under the framework of the ANRPC towards strengthening NR prices. This is also aimed at ensuring that the NR producers, in particular the small rubber farmers are not disadvantaged by the weakening of NR prices. The ANRPC Member Countries will submit concrete proposals for consideration at the next Annual ANRPC Assembly in October 2015.
3. The meeting noted the performance of NR market and the persistently low NR prices that had affected millions of rubber farmers. This has consequently resulted in low income to rubber farmers and many rubber farmers opting other jobs and possible lower growth in NR production.
4. Collective efforts towards long term stability in NR prices have to be compatible with the emerging trends in the world NR market and characteristics of rubber industry in the domestic rubber sector of Member Countries.
5. The Ministers agreed that to stabilise NR prices at the level which is remunerative and sustainable to smallholders and also fair to consumers, coordinated strategic directions and solutions need to be implemented. This will be finalised at the next Annual ANRPC Assembly in October 2015. This will contribute towards addressing volatile short term prices and stabilising long term NR prices.
6. The Ministers tasked the ANRPC Secretariat to establish an Expert Group. The Secretariat will convene the first meeting of the expert group at the earliest and submit its recommendations for consideration in the next meeting. 
7. The meeting agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a common trading platform for NR linking the existing systems in the ANRPC Member Countries. This is aimed at providing a more reflective price for NR based on supply and demand fundamentals.
8. The role of ANRPC has to be strengthened as an authoritative source of NR related statistics and information.
9. The Ministers also agreed to invite the private sector for a dialogue with ANRPC during its annual meetings.
10. The meeting agreed that ANRPC shall coordinate its priorities in Research and Development with other institutions including IRRDB and work closely with them to disseminate the research findings.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------